LXI.
I had been right. This girl was different.
And she was finally back where she belonged.
I woke late the following morning, the sun well at it's peak in the sky, and apartment completely empty. Sitting up and looking around, I immediately noticed the ache on my stomach, the closed up wounds that covered my body still had a little time to go before they were made into proper scars.
"No cut-off tops today." I muttered with a light sigh, untangling myself from the covers and getting up wearily. Looking around the apartment, I was relieved to see there wasn't a huge amount changed, especially since I was sure that Lucy had helped herself to whatever she could find.
Lucy.
The name had sufficiently haunted me ever since I had watched her fall away into the blackness. The awful sound of her body hitting the rock below didn't do much to help my frustration, nor the photo that she had given me at the very last minute.
I can't afford to live tonight. Take this Camila, and promise me you'll kill her.
Before we had departed, I had slid the polaroid into the front pocket of my backpack, along with Jason's pendant and my freshly polished blades. The realization had struck the moment we stepped form the forest back into the real world that everyone who had been lost during our time there, had given me something to keep.
Stretching, I started off towards the balcony door but was cut short when the front swung open. Lauren barrelled inside, two large paper bags tucked in her arms, and my car keys wedged between her teeth. She wore a pair of small jean shorts and a white tank top that rode up further in the front than it did the back, and a dark pair of sunglasses covered her eyes.
"Hey, you're up. Good." The girl dropped the things in her arms down on the kitchen table, then slid the glasses up so they were perched on her head. "How are you feeling? Still tired?"
"Yeah." I shrugged, sliding my hands into the pockets of my black sweats. "What have you been doing?"
"The girls and I did a little shopping this morning, they were all up pretty early and really excited." Lauren replied, tossing the car keys into the small bowl that sat by the door. "Dinah's family was really thankful and happy to see her, and they already seem to like Normani and Ally. Those two really know how to turn on the charm and say exactly what people want to hear."
I nodded, taking a deep breath.
"They'd really like to see you as well." The girl added. "Everyone is really worried about you Camz, especially now that the news of Shawn's death has gotten around. Both of their families have been spending a lot of time together, I think they've contacted your father as well."
"I'll have to go and see everyone." I nodded. "Did you get some groceries?"
"Yeah." Lauren spun around and returned to the bags. The four of us picked up a few goodies on the way home. And a little something for you as well."
From a smaller bag, Lauren retrieved a small white capsule with a screw off top. It was unmarked an oval shaped, sitting neatly in the inner crease of her palm.
"What's that?"
"It's a single brown lens." Lauren replied, carefully unscrewing the cap and stepping towards me, showing me the capsule. Inside was a single contact lens, and upon it was a dark brown ring that had a number of highlighted patterns that looked like an eye. "We spoke to the on-call opthamologist, and apparently there have been cases where an adult's eye colour can change later in life. Granted it usually happens in relation to some kind of disease or badly planned medication, but it's still possible."
I looked down at the lens curiously. "So we have to play it off like I have some kind of disease in my eye?"
"Not quite." Lauren laughed softly. "You'll wear this lens for a while, then we can pick up some paler ones to make the change gradual. Apparently it's not terribly difficult to get a brown lens, and it's also cheap. Not many people request their eyes to get darker so the price isn't nearly as high as a green or blue lens."
"Understandable." I sighed. "Thank you Lauren."
"Also." The girl re-closed the capsule and placed it in my hand. "We got some ingredients for breakfast. I figure you should eat something decent before you head out there today. How does french toast sound? I got bacon."
"Sounds delicious." I blinked, stepping into the kitchen. "Hey, where did you get the money for all this?"
When I received no response, I glanced over my shoulder to see the girl was looking at me with a big smile, her shiny white teeth nearly blinding, and eyebrows arched up high. I rolled my eyes, reaching to the upper shelf and removing a frying pan. "Lauren, stealing is wrong. The three of you are going to have to get used to living a life without it."
"But I've finally perfected the technique of sending things through the vent systems" Lauren blinked at me proudly. "At least the ones that are big enough for things to actually fit in. I can move the currents through the tunnels and get stuff around really quickly."
"Lauren." I warned, furrowing my brow at her.
"Alright, alright. I can take a hint." The girl removed a box of sugar from one of the bags. "Are you going to help me cook Camz?"
"Yeah. I—"
"Hey Camila! Is this your apartment? Wow, it's kinda underwhelming, just like your car..." The door burst open, and through it pranced Ally, Normani and Dinah. They all looked wide awake and ready to go, which was more than I could say for myself.
"Mani, can you just skip the sass and be nice for once?" Ally asked, greeting me with a plastic bag containing a single paper food container. "Please?"
"I mean, I can try but I don't think it's going to happen." The girl shrugged in response. Dinah was chuckling to herself, making her way over to me as well. I accepting the hug from her, leaning happily against her shoulder.
"Those are french toast sticks." Ally informed me, rolling her eyes at her friend who was now splayed out in the covers on the couch. Lauren had found her way over as well, flopping down next to her. "We figured you would probably be hungry when you woke up, and passed a really amazing smelling cafe on the walk over here so Normani distracted everyone inside by making it snow from the vents and we—."
"Ally be quiet I don't want to know." I held my hand up. "Thank you, they look amazing. Lauren was going to make me breakfast, but this works too."
"Oh thank god, I did not want to do that." The girl stretched with a yawn, balling herself up with a giggle as she was poked in the ribs by Normani.
"Mila." Dinah placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me into the kitchen, pulling a carton of translucent blue beverage out from one of Lauren's bags and unscrewing the cap. "The police have informed Shawn's family of everything, they assumed it was just some kind of hiking accident. No foul play involved and no witnesses."
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"Anyway, they've pretty much demanded that it be looked into no further. I think it would be good if you went and spoke with them about it, they're confused, but they're being patient."
"I will." I picked up a french toast stick and sniffed it, taking a small nibble, then a more confident, sugary bite. "I'll finish this and get changed, then we'll head over together, okay?"
Dinah acknowledged me with a nod, grabbing glass from an upper shelf and filling it halfway with the blue drink. "It's blue raspberry iced tea." The girl informed me after catching a glimpse of my confused expression. "Check out what Normani figured out how to do. Mani?"
"Yeah?" The girl hopped up off the couch. "What's up?"
"Show Mila what you did last night with the ice."
"Sure." The girl stepped over, taking the glass and holding it around the base. "Check it."
With a small gesture, I watched curiously as a wave of sparkles drifted around her hand, and within the glass formed three clear spheres of ice. The first twisted, shifting itself into a five point star. The second morphed into a heart, and the third became a flower. The girl then handed the glass to me, and I felt the condensation began to form on the outside.
"That's pretty." I said with a small smile in her direction. "It's only the first day, you guys are already settling in really well."
"This place is amazing." Ally was standing across the room, her nose pressed to the glass of the balcony window in a very animated fashion. "Look at the all the people, look at all the action! I just want to go walk around the city and explore... Oh, can I jump off the balcony?"
"NO." I glared at her.
"Aw why?" Ally turned to me with an adorable pout. "I'll be fine, I can catch myself before I hit the ground."
"Yeah, you'll be fine, but the poor old lady who goes out every morning to walk her little poodle to the dollar store and back will probably have a heart attack and die." I explained. "The three of you are going to need to occupy yourselves for the rest of the day, Dinah and I have some business to take care of. "
"Let's go down to the water!" Lauren hopped up, smoothing out her tank top. "We can walk along the pier and play some of those fun little games that we'll win for sure because you've got me on your side. Oh, they have the best food stands down there, you can get a pretzel the size of your head!"
Normani spun around, dropping a sweet peck on Dinah's cheek before rushing towards the exit where Ally was already waiting, rocking on the balls of her feet. Lauren grabbed her sunglasses, sliding her feet into a pair of flip flops and quickly following them. "Be careful you three!" I called, hurrying over and stopping the door before it flew closed and wincing when the impact nearly crushed the side of my foot. "Please don't do anything stupid! And no stealing!'
"Don't worry!" Lauren reappeared around the corner of the hallway and rushed at me, pinning my arms down to my sides in a fierce hug before planting an over exaggerated kiss on my right cheek. Turning around again, she took off for the elevators. "We'll be good!" The girl called as she flew out of sight. "Promise!"
I sighed, my head spinning at the image of three teenage girls racing down the sidewalk, scaling buildings and finally being completely free. When I turned around and closed the door, I saw that Dinah had migrated to the arm of the couch, and was sitting, watching me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "They seem really happy."
Moving to the kitchen to retrieve my breakfast, I then made my way over and sat by her side, balancing on the thin arm. "They do." I agreed. "I think they deserve it after all this time."
Dinah just nodded wordlessly, placing her hands down against the couch. "You know... I still can't believe he's just gone."
I glanced at her.
"Ever since I woke up this morning, I've felt like... any minute now he should walk through that door, you know? With that leather jacket that he always thought made him look so cool, and his canvas messenger bag full of comic books... probably ready to get right back into school and catch up on all the missed work."
Looking towards the door, I waited for it to swing open as she spoke, but it didn't move. "I know what you mean." I replied. "I so badly wish I could have heard him sing just a little more. I wish he had told me what a talent he had before he did."
"Yeah." Dinah sighed. "You know, last night my parents were telling me about how much time they've been spending with his family, giving their support and making sure they had everything they needed. Stuff like that."
"Yeah?"
The blonde nodded. "They actually told me that over the past few days, Aaliyah has been having a really hard time. She's been mistreating her parents, and running away a lot. They had to go and find her in the middle of the night yesterday at a local park and even then she refused to come home for hours."
I looked down, my chest starting to ache. "I'll talk to her." I replied, standing up and heading across the room to retrieve the contact lens that Lauren had given me. "They didn't really show it much, but I know they were really close."
Dinah and I spent the rest of the day together, stopping first at her place so I could say hello to her family. The moment I opened the door, the realization of just how large the Hansen family really was hit me again, as evident by the influx of children, aunts and uncles absolutely everywhere. After receiving long hugs of relief and condolences, I sat down with Dinah and her parents, and carefully went through everything we had done, from start to finish.
The conversation was very one sided, and concluded with a demonstration from Dinah. She held out her hands, and within them formed two small flames, flickering upwards and moving with subtle shifts in the air. While we waited for the response, I slid my hand forward and gripped the girl's forearm, silently letting her know that she had my support, no matter what the reply.
Much to our long awaited relief, the reply was nothing but positive. Her parents were both confused, and still clearly wanted further clarification, but the conversation ended with hugs, tears, and the ecstatic declaration that the family would never need to buy matches or gasoline again.
Taking us to late afternoon, the next stop was Shawn's family home. I was nervous as we approached, but the sensation was quickly washed away when the two of us were embraced by the family.
"Camila, Dinah, we're so incredibly relieved to see you both." I was told by Karen, Shawn's mother, who was an avid homemaker and curator of fine wines. She looked exhausted, both physically and emotionally.
"We're happy to be home." I replied, nodding as the ache in my chest grew. "And I'm so so sorry for everything that I've put your family through. "I promise that if I could go back and change the course of events that night, I would in a heartbeat."
"Girls." Manuel, or "Manny" as he insisted everyone call him was Shawn's father, a powerful business mogul, responsible for the establishment of multiple different companies in the apartment and condo rental world. He was retired now, but never passed up the opportunity to spend every few days back in the office to make sure the inner workings of his enterprise operated smoothly. "Ever since you all left, we've been waiting, praying for you to come back in one piece. And we're so thankful that you have."
"There's no one who loved Shawn the way the two of you did." The woman at his side continued. "And we're so thankful that if anyone was to be there when he died, it was you."
"He gave his life." I informed them, placing my hand on Dinah's arm. "He sacrificed himself to save someone he cared for, very very much." Glancing at my friend, I took a deep breath before continuing. "Someone that the two of us care for very much as well."
I was met with two confused looks, then sat down and worked with Dinah to retell everything from start to finish. They were patient and understanding, and once they came to realize the value of Shawn's sacrifice, his parents both showed nothing but pride.
"That's my son." Manny said softly, his eyes down on the floor, while his wife rose to fill a glass with water. "And that's what we will remember him for."
"Camila." Karen addressed me from across the kitchen. "Have you called your father since you've been home?"
"No." I shook my head. "I only got in early this morning after driving through the night. I haven't even gotten the chance to plug my phone in, much less make a call."
"Please do so." She replied, smiling. Her gaze was full of sadness, but there was a new, powerful pride there that hadn't been before. "He and your sister have both been worried sick about you, they deserve to know that you're safe."
"I will, of course." I got up, looking around. "Is Aaliyah home?"
"She is." He nodded up at me. "She's up in her room right now, but Camila..."
"Yeah?"
The man took a slow breath in. "Aaliyah is still working hard at processing this loss. It's been quite difficult for her, and she's been acting out recently, so we're just trying to give her some space. Just know that if she doesn't speak to you, it's nothing personal."
"I understand." I replied, looking at Dinah and receiving a nod of support. A new conversation began behind me as I headed up the winding staircase and arrived at the top floor. A painful nostalgia brewed as I brushed past Shawn's closed bedroom door and headed down the hall.
"Aliyah?" I knocked softly, taking the handle and giving it a gentle twist. It stuck, rattling against the frame. "Hey, it's Camila... I just got back in town."
There was no response, the soft chatter downstairs was the only hint of noise. "I know this has got to be hard for you Ali... I'm so sorry."
I was stopped when the door opened, and on the other side stood Aaliyah Mendes, her long dark hair falling around her shoulders and eyes rimmed red. "Camila?" She asked, her voice hoarse. "You're home?"
"I just arrived last night." Stepping into the room and closing the door behind me, I had to fight back tears upon realizing that the girl was wearing her brother's oversized grey hoodie. The article was so large on her that it dropped below her knees, and completely hid her arms. "I wanted to come see you earlier, but we drove through the night, and I only woke up a few hours ago."
I was taken aback when the girl rushed forward into my arms, a weak sob erupting from her throat. I knelt down, pulling her close to me and running my fingers through her hair.
"I'm so sorry." I murmured, repeating the phrase over and over again. "I know how much he cared about you."
"I just..." She whimpered, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. "When he left here, I didn't really say goodbye very well, because I thought that he would just come back, and everything would go back to normal... I wish I could have—"
"Hey." I stopped her, pulling back and grabbing a single sheet of tissue from the box on a nearby shelf. "Your brother knows how much you care about him." I assured her. "I promise you sweetie, there's no need to feel any kind of guilt."
"No?" The young girl questioned, looking up at me wearily. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure." I nodded, pressing my lips to her forehead.
"I'm really happy you're home Camila." Aaliyah mumbled, granting me a weak, exhausted smile. "Really really happy."
"I'm happy to be home." I replied, smiling down at her. "But Ali, you have to promise me that you won't run away anymore."
"My parents told you huh..." The young tween looked down, wiping at her eyes again. "I wish they would just leave me alone."
"Why babe?" I led her over to the bed and sat down on the edge, draping my arm around her shoulder.
"Just— because they don't care." She sniffed, wiping at her eyes again. "They're not even sad... they don't care that he's gone."
"Sweetie, that's not true." I pressed my hand against her cheek. "Your Mom and Dad, they're trying so hard to be strong for you. You need to do the same for them."
Aaliyah just looked away, pulling her legs up onto the bed and crossing them beneath her.
"I don't want anything to happen to you." I told her, placing my hand on her knee. "And your parents don't either. Every time you run away, it scares them really badly because they don't want you to get in trouble. Your brother wouldn't want you to run off either."
The girl nodded, wiping her eyes again. "I'm never going to see him again." She murmured, looking up at me sadly. "Never. That's just it... "
Sighing, I pulled her into my arms again and tucked her close. "That's not it, you will see him again sweetie." I murmured softly. "It might not be for a long time yet, but one day, no doubt."
After a few moments of quiet, the girl peered up at me. "Camila, how did it happen?"
I took a slow breath in. "We were in trouble one night." I began. "There were a whole bunch of dangerous things going on, and a lot on the line. Your brother saw that someone he really loved was in danger, so he stepped in front of her and saved her from an incoming attack."
"Was it quick?"
I nodded. "I was with him, and he knew he wasn't going to make it. But he wasn't upset Ali. He was happy — he was smiling."
"And did he say anything about me?" She questioned.
"He was in a lot of pain." I replied, not wanting to lie to the teen. "He didn't say much just before he died, but I know he was thinking of you. Honestly, there was very little time when he wasn't."
"Okay." The girl nodded, settling against me and closing her eyes. I shifted up towards the pillows and lay her back on the mattress.
"You should get some sleep, you must be absolutely exhausted." I soothed, drawing the covers up over her shivering frame and turning off the small light by the bed. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
She nodded in reply, just as I reached forward and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Backing up and leaving the room, I closed the door quietly and headed back downstairs to where Dinah was creating a small firework show in the living room. Some minutes later, the two of us bid the family goodbye for the time being and returned to the apartment.
When we arrived, every light was off, the TV was on and all three young fledglings sat in a neat row on the couch. Normani had one leg crossed over the other, and was squinting at the screen, turning over a small glittering snow globe in one hand, and a number of key chins wrapped around the fingers of the other. Around her shoulders was a comically large American flag, and on her head sat an equally as large balloon hat.
Lauren sat in the middle with her knees curled tight against her chest. On her body was a bright blue and white hoodie, the hood of which featured two pointed ears, a long glittering horn, and a rainbow mane. She had a multicoloured, blinking plastic necklace on, the kind that I thought only came from flashy pop concerts.
Ally sat on the far end, hugging a massive teddy bear and blinking periodically at the screen. Her lips were blue, as were the tips of her fingers.
"You three look like you had a good afternoon." Dinah smirked, nudging me in the shoulder. "What are you watching?"
We received a number of quiet demands as a reply, the two of us looking at each other and shrugging. Dinah seated herself on the arm of the couch close to Normani, while I scooted around and sat down on Lauren's lap, leaning back.
"Ow, you're heavy." She mumbled, moving me to the side so I wound up on the bear that was stuffed in Ally's arms. The brunette grinned down at me, just before I kicked my shoes off and extended down the couch, using all three girls as a makeshift air mattress.
The last thing I caught wind of was a jam packed action scene before my eyes slipped closed and I succumbed to our road trip's residual fatigue.
***
"Lauren?"
The following day, Lauren looked up to see Normani heading towards her in the fitted black dress that they had picked out earlier. Her hair was straight, grown longer since their first encounter and falling just at her shoulders. "Hey." The girl gave her friend a small smile. "Is Ally with you?"
"Yeah, she'll be here in a few. She just wanted to make sure everything was alright with the others."
"Where are they?"
"Dinah's coming with her family, I'm not where Camila is, but I'm sure she'll be here soon."
After a long breath, Lauren nodded and turned back around to look down at the small pond before her. It was a cute water feature that sat in the garden of the funeral home. Within it included a statue of a fish jumping out of the water, a lion head, and a number of small, pale green plants and flowers.
"Lauren." Normani addressed her again. "Is everything okay?"
"No." The girl fiddled with the hem of her own black dress. "Yes... I don't know, maybe?"
"Hey." A hand came down on her shoulder. "I know this has got to be hard for you, it's hard for everyone... but you need to remember what's really important right now."
"What?" Lauren frowned.
Normani took her by the arm and turned her around to where a large, unmarked car had pulled up to the curb just beyond the garden. All four doors opened at once, and from it emerged the young teen Lauren remembered from the girl scout cookie incident, two unfamiliar adults, and Camila. Air caught tight in her throat as she watched the Latina head up to the sidewalk, taking the younger girl's hand and approaching the funeral home with her.
For the afternoon, Camila had chosen to wear a fitted dark blazer, the sleeves of which had been rolled down to the middle of her forearms to hide the markings on her left bicep. Her long legs had been blessed with a pair of fitted black pants that ended in tall heels with subtle gold accents, and her brown hair was done in soft waves. "She looks amazing." Normani remarked from Lauren's side. "Just remember that this day is going to be really hard for her. She's going to need you."
"I know. And she does look amazing." Lauren admitted. "God, why the hell does she always have to look amazing no matter what she does?"
"I think that's called being in love." The other fledgling replied, nudging her in the arm. "Come on, we should get inside and find the others. Things are going to start soon."
"You're right, yeah." Lauren followed the girl back towards the side entrance of the home, stepping inside to see numerous unfamiliar people of all ages with matching looks of sadness and condolence. They were all dressed in black, some talking softly, others heading straight into the sitting area. Lauren watched at Normani's side as a large family of children all entered, each one bearing a similar soft brown eye and beautiful deep honey coloured skin. She saw Dinah last, her blonde standing out, yet matching so perfectly with her own black dress.
"You guys made it." She smiled, gesturing over to Ally who was talking to one of the youngest children - a girl with a curious look on her face. "I'm glad. Come on, let's head inside and sit down, they've set aside seats for us."
"You guys go." Lauren nodded. "I'll catch up, I just want to wait for Camila."
She watched her friends all file into the second room, Ally brushing past her with a reassuring squeeze to the arm and a signature motherly smile. The moment they were gone, another voice addressed her.
"Hi."
Lauren glanced up, coming eye to eye with a teenage boy dressed in a neat suit and tie with curly brown hair and thin lips. He was holding out a sheet of paper, folded once to create a booklet.
"Sorry, I've been handing these out to everyone who's come in, and you didn't seem to have one." The boy apologized, and Lauren quickly picked up on his charming British accent. "So if you'd like..."
"Sure thank you." She took it kindly, watching as he nodded and dipped away, vanishing into the room adjacent with the others. Looking down, Lauren felt an ache rise in her chest when she saw on the front of the booklet was a picture of Shawn. He was standing in front of a long railing, leaning back against it with a smile on his face and a pair of sunglasses on his head. Behind was a large mountain range, and just to the side was a board covered in pictures and information. It looked like it had come from a vacation, or a family trip taken no doubt earlier in the year. Gripping the piece of paper so hard that the pads of her fingers turned white, Lauren felt her head spin, and instinctively walked towards the side door once again.
Back out in the Miami sunshine, the girl dropped the page to the grass and headed towards the fence, leaning with her back to it and closing her eyes.
"You look beautiful."
Lauren turned to the sound of the voice and blinked, the air in her throat becoming harder and harder to swallow the longer her gaze rested on Camila. Up close, she could see her eyes had been highlighted by both deep shadow, and an expert coat of eyeliner.
"Me?" The fledgling pushed off the fence and stepped closer. "Look at you Camz..."
"Nah, this isn't much, just a little something I threw together at the last minute." The girl was holding the dropped page in her hand. "They're going to ask everyone to come inside and sit down soon, are you alright?"
"Everyone keeps asking me that." Lauren turned to look out to the street. "Do I really look that miserable?"
"You look like I did when someone popped my balloon puppy at the pier when I was four." The brunette replied with a smile, closing the distance between them and taking Lauren's hand. "I've always hated funerals, I never saw them as a celebration of life, more than I did a depressing reminder of death."
"That's poetic." Lauren bit her lip, digging the point of her heel into the grass below. "Really pretty."
"You know what I mean." Camila shook her head, smiling softly as she slid the page into the back pocket of her pants and wound her arms around Lauren's waist. "If it were up to me, we wouldn't be doing this, but there are a lot of people in there that haven't said their goodbyes yet. They deserve to get the chance to."
"I understand." Lauren nodded. "Will you sit with me?"
With a soft laugh, Camila nodded and moved forward to grip the girl's cheeks and kiss her softly. She tasted like fading raspberry and lemon, her lips so impossibly soft that Lauren had to remind herself the current definition of boundaries. Running her hands down to the brunette's tiny waist, she squeezed her tight, pulling her close.
"When we finish here, we'll have some fun, sound good?" Camila questioned, trailing her own fingers down and running them over the unique, symmetrical scar that formed over Lauren's heart.
"What kind of fun?"
"The kind that involves a movie and some kind of food in a public place." The girl replied, their lips colliding softly once more. "Come on, let's go inside."
Nodding, she took Camila's hand and followed her back into the quaint building, eyes on the ground right up until she was stopped abruptly, bumping into her shoulder.
"Dad?"
Lauren's head snapped up, and just over Camila's shoulder she saw a broad shouldered man dressed in a similar black suit as all the other males in the building. Standing before him, was a small girl no older than seven or eight. She had a cute black dress on with lace sleeves, her hair pulled back with a matching coloured headband that featured a small bow.
"Cami." The man smiled softly, nudging the girl forward.
"Camila!" She squeaked, running towards them as the brunette fell to her knees and opened her arms.
"Sofi, oh my god." Camila had her hand pressed to the back of the younger girl's head, and was visibly squeezing her ridiculously tight.
Sofi? Lauren blinked, looking down at the two for a moment before glancing back up at the man, who looked equally as emotional. Her family?
"You're here." Camila breathed, lifting her chin and looking up at her father. "How? When did you get here?"
"Not long ago." Sofi replied, standing back up as Camila rose as well, rushing forward and embraced her dad. "We tried to keep it a surprise for you, even though everyone else knew."
"We're so glad to see you're safe." The man replied, his arms wrapping tight around her. "My god Camila, you look like you've grown up so much."
"I really haven't." The girl murmured. "Just ask anyone."
"Regardless." He chuckled. "I'm so glad to see you. Your sister could barely sit still on the plane ride over."
"He's right." Sofi grabbed on to the hem of her sister's blazer and tugged her back down. Camila was happy to comply, wrapping her up in another hug and peppering kisses all over her face. "I'm really sorry about Shawn."
"We both are." Her father added. "He was such a wonderful young man. We're all going to miss him dearly. I just hope he knows how much I admire him."
"He does Dad, don't worry." Camila lifted her sister up as his hand landed on her shoulder. "Thank you guys so much for coming all the way out here, it couldn't have been easy."
"I miss you." Sofi mumbled, leaning her head on Camila's shoulder. "Dad does too."
"My girls." The man remarked, his arms encircling them both. "Finally back together again."
Lauren, who had been standing like a rock throughout the entire endeavour, took the hem of her dress between her fingers and played with it idly.
"Oh my gosh." Camila turned around, eyes apologetic. "Dad, Sofi, this is Lauren. The girl I was telling you about a while ago. Lauren, this is my little sister Sofia, and my father Alejandro. Like the Lady Gaga song."
"It's nice to meet you." Lauren held out her hand, as Alejandro met it with a firm shake.
"You too Lauren." He was looking at her with something in his eye that she couldn't put her finger on. "My goodness, you almost remind me of—"
"Dad." Camila interrupted him, shaking her head softly. I frowned, equally as confused as I was uninterested.
"Hi." Sofi smiled, giving Lauren a small wave. "You're really pretty."
"Thank you." Lauren smiled at her, glancing at Camila who was nodding in agreement. The younger Cabello held a resemblance to her older sister, her soft almond shaped eyes of a matching brown hue. "So are you."
Camila placed the girl back on her feet, gesturing to the inner room as music from a soft organ began to play. "We should go." She continued, ushering Sofi towards the door and taking Lauren's hand.
The service was pleasant, full of sweet quotes, songs, and memories from Shawn's family and his past. A number of people Lauren didn't recognize took some time to speak at the front, recalling the happy times and making it clear what the teen would be remembered for. Lauren sat from the start to finish, listening, tearing up, and smiling at times when the memories being recalled lined up perfectly with Shawn's unique personality.
There was a sensation however, that Lauren couldn't seem to move forward from. The girl knew she was the only one in the entire room who had felt the boy press against her before collapsing lifeless at her feet. The only one who could confidently say Shawn would never go back on his choice to give his life for her. Lauren spent most of the service trying to not look at the charming photo of the boy sitting at the front of the room, but no matter where she gazed the image of dark eyes and red plaid couldn't be shaken.
When it was over, the crowd slowly began to disperse from the funeral home and scatter out onto the streets, most speaking amongst themselves, others loading children into cars. Per the brunette's orders, Lauren remained close to Camila and stood by as she greeted and thanked nearly everyone who attended.
By the time the area had cleared, the sun was high in the sky.
"Cami, I'm going to head over and visit with the Mendes family for a little bit, do you mind taking your sister for lunch?" Alejandro asked, turning to his eldest daughter.
"Of course." Camila replied as Lauren glanced over to see Sofi and another small girl with Dinah, introducing them both to Normani and Ally.
"Great." Alejandro replied, handing her a small pink backpack. "She's got a change of clothes in here, and you have my number if anything happens to go wrong..." He paused. "You do still have my number, right?"
"Yes father." Camila rolled her eyes, receiving a firm pat on the back.
"Careful Cami, if you keep doing that, then your eyes are going to stay that way forever."
"Yes father." The brunette repeated again as the man chuckled. Lauren smiled, watching as his eyes drifted to a spot just above her shoulder.
"Well look what we have here."
Lauren turned around, the girl at her side doing the same as her palms suddenly became sweaty. Walking toward them was Mike, wearing a black polo shirt and jeans, his hands neatly tucked away in his pockets. He was flanked on one side by Taylor, who wore a sweater with her school logo, and on the other by Chris, who was in another variation of the red and black basketball jersey. Both kids had their attention down on smartphone in their hands.
The girl was moments from greeting them all, until Mike said something that had both her and Camila frozen where they stood. He was looking just over Lauren's shoulder, his expression shifting into a smile.
"Alejandro Cabello? Mike was looking over Lauren's shoulder at the other man as well. "What a sight for sore eyes. What are you doing here old friend?"
***
A/N: AND NOW IT'S 3 IN THE MORNING AND SNOWING. THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.